This invention concerns a further development and improvement of apparatus for treating rhinitis, hay fever and the like allergy diseases (hereinafter collectively called “rhinitis”) of the type described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,683,436 (Mendes, et al.), which is hereby incorporated by reference (hereinafter referred to as the “Basic Patent”).
Briefly stated, the Basic Patent exemplified several options for holding the LEDs (actually the LEDs carrier or casing—hereinafter called the “Probes”) within the nostrils of the patient during the treatment periods of time (several minutes daily).
In practice, however, none of these options has been implemented, but rather the design as schematically shown in FIG. 1 of the attached drawings (see for example the site www.syrolight.com under the product “BIONASE”). In more detail, the apparatus comprises a pair of LED or LEDs containing probes 102a and 102b mounted to a common support 104 made of a flexible material such as rubber.
A length of wire 106 with plug 108 leads to the electric power and control housing 110. The housing contains dry or rechargeable batteries and the necessary circuitry for activating the LEDs, along with the conventional auxiliary devices such as pilot lamp 112, on-off switch 114, etc.
Such devices inhibit the release of histamine, relieving or even completely eliminating allergic reactions. There are no side effects associated with the use of the device and there is no need to burden the body with drugs. Therefore, such devices were regarded as an exciting breakthrough for the treatment of allergic reactions.
However, the Bionase-type design certainly involves discomfort on the part of the user, in that it is necessary limits his maneuverability, the same way as experienced with regard to other cord-associated instruments such as Discmans or cellular earphones.
Moreover, this design makes the use by infants and even babies practically prohibitive.
It is thus the prime object of the present invention to overcome the above identified drawbacks of the conventional design.
It is a further object of the invention to make the device cordless-type and thus self-contained.